Memories
by J.C.Hutchins
Summary: An alternate reality of sorts, what would have happend if Sirus had been pardoned after his escape. Sirius remembers his 7th year at Hogwarts.


Disclaimer:  I own none of this except the basic dialogue and plot.  All characters and locations at this point belong to J.K. Rowling, so please don't sue me!  I have no money anyway.

Note: This chapter is a bit short but it's been flying around in my brain for so long I need to publish before my head explodes, because that would be bad.  I know this Chapter isn't really PG-13 but I want to make sure it doesn't get PG-13 later and me not have rated strictly enough.  Enjoy the show…I'm sure it's been done, but I don't care.  As always, review for me so I can make it better!

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Memories… 

King's Cross Station was busy and noisy as ever, but still somehow James managed to make his voice carry over the crowd as he called to his friends, "OY!  SIRIUS!  PETER! REAMUSSSSSSSSS!"

"James!  Calm down, we're only across the station, not up at Durmstrang you know!" exclaimed Remus as he and the other two boys approached their friend.  This was their 7th year at Hogwarts…their last year at the school, and then…into the world!  

Sirius remembered that day so well.  When everything had still been as it should be…not as it was now.  When he could still see his best friend everyday.  When they found some sort of trouble to cause on a daily basis and everyone loved them anyway.  When he was a highly respected wizard, not an ex-con that half the wizarding world still believed to be guilty.  Sure, Dumbledore had gotten the Ministry to pardon him.  So what?  Sirius knew full well that most people still thought he had killed the Potters and only tolerated him in general public because they knew him to be powerful.  Yes, Sirius knew all this, but none of it really mattered much anymore.  He was free, he and Harry had a nice little house in Godric's Hollow, not far off from where Lily and James had bought their first house, the house Harry had been born in, and the house Harry's parents had died in.  Somehow, morbidly, Sirius wanted to live this close, he felt he could watch over their spirits here.  It was getting late now, Harry had gone to sleep hours ago so as to wake up early the next morning and go over to Diagon Alley to get school supplies.  More importantly, tomorrow Sirius was giving Harry his first driving lesson.  Muggle style driving, while pointless to many wizards had its good points, and Sirius thought Harry needed to learn.  So, as his godson slept peacefully just a few rooms away Sirius sat in the kitchen and remembered when he had been just Harry's age.

"Sirius!  I have to tell you something, come here!" James grabbed Sirius's sleeve and towed him away from the crowd of friends they had joined.  He looked so excited, so invigorated.  Sirius vaguely wondered what was going on.  

"What?  What is it?  I really want to see what crazy pet that Ravenclaw has this year!" whined a rather exasperated Sirius, after all how often did James do this?  Well…come to think of it, almost never.  But that wasn't the point.  Or perhaps it was, he didn't know, and now he was all confused too.  "Oh Toad Breath!  Prongs, you've gotten me confused now!" exclaimed Sirius as all this thought processed through his mind.

"I haven't said a word yet and you know it, besides this is TEN THOUSAND times more important than any stupid turtle."  fired back James.  Sirius started to open his mouth to comment but James was too excited and talked over him, "Sirius, you'll never guess what I've done.  I must be a complete ninny.  I can't believe it…it's amazing…she said, and I said…and it's…." James saw Sirius start to raise a hand to smack him and realized how incoherent he must sound.  "Right, anyway…" he recovered quickly, "Padfoot, old friend, I need you to do something for me just as soon as we graduate this year.  I need you to be my best man.   Don't look so stunned, I finally did it, yesterday at Diagon alley, I asked Lily to marry me."

"Bbbbb….erm…ack…I mean…can you?  Will she?  I mean…WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT GIRL MARRYING A GIT LIKE YOU!?" exclaimed Sirius as he hugged James in congratulations and laughed, "Congratulations Prongs!  I told you you two would get married one day didn't I?  Back in 1st year when you wanted to kill each other!  I told you!  Oh wow!  Why didn't you tell me sooner?  I could kill you, but she'd kill me and I am NO MATCH for that girl in a duel!  Wow!  James this is amazing!"  James laughed and watched Sirius babble on for a few more minutes before finally getting up the nerve to interrupt.

"Just uh…don't tell anyone yet, okay?  Lily hasn't told her parents and doesn't want it to get back to them…" said a smiling James to the still babbling Sirius.  Suddenly, James's face fell as he realized two things; one Lily was walked up to him looking ready to kill, and two, Sirius yelled quite loudly when excited.

"JAMES!  HOW COULD YOU!" screamed Lily.  James hung his head sheepishly and blushed. "I WAS GOING TO TELL EVERYBODY MYSELF!" suddenly Lily broke into a smile and threw her self at James, giving him a big hug and kissing him.  James did the only sensible thing he could do, wrapped his arms around the love of his life and twirled her around.  As James set her gently back on the ground Lily whispered to him "I love you, but you realize those knuckle heads you hang out with will never let us hear the end of this don't you?"  James just looked at her and grinned broadly.

Sirius wandered over to the kitchen window as he realized he was crying.  "Maybe a bit of coffee will help," he thought blankly.  Thoughts raced through his mind as he remembered that day, the first day of his last year at school.  The day his best friend told him he was marrying the one person Sirius had always hoped he would.   Yes, Lily and James, James and Lily.  They had always been perfect together, even when Lily was going to bash James to a pulp for one stupid prank he and Sirius pulled or another.  Sirius thought back and remembered everything about that perfect day.  Lily, radiantly happy, sneaking up behind James and scaring him to death with her supposed anger at him.  James, practically jumping out of his skin trying to tell Sirius the good news.   Remus, Peter, and himself grabbing James and Lily both and just hugging them.  Gods, had Pettigrew been working for Voldemort then?  Even as he congratulated his two best friends on their engagement had he know he would one day betray them?  Hand them thoughtlessly over to their death just to gain power?  Sirius threw the coffee mug to the floor, but stopped it with a simple charm before it hit and actually broke.  Pettigrew…little rat.  He was the reason Harry was sleeping down the hall instead of a few doors down where he should have been.   He was the reason Sirius had spent 13 hell-like years in Azkaban.  Sirius knew he could never ever forgive the little rat.  Slowly, shakily Sirius poured himself some more coffee and walked back to the table to sit down as he thought back to that last year at school…

Okay folks, that's it for now.  Hopefully I'll be able to add the second chapter around lunchtime today.  Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1.  As always, read, think, and review!


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